Power-operated counter



L. E. LA BOMBARD AND M. H. SIDEBOTHAM.

POWER OPERATED COUNTER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1920.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LEON E. LA BOMBARD,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO SPEC AND MELVIN H. SIDEBOTHAM,

OF CLIFTONDALE,

ALTY AUTOMATIC MACHINE COMPANY, OF

POWER-OPERATED COUNTER.

Application filed April 7, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, LnoN E. La Born nAnn, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Chelsea, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, and MELvIN H. SIDEBOTHAM, a. citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Cliftondale, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Power-Operated Counters, of which the following is aspecification. y

This invention relates to mechanical counters and has particularreference to that type of devices which are attached to ma chines formaking articles such as flat paper boxes or cartons and effect countingof such. articles by indicating to an attendant that a predeterminednumber (such as fifty) are ready to be picked for boxing or laying asidein piles or groups. Usually the articles issue from the making machineeither to mechanism which assembles them in a ver tical pile, or onto abelt which moves so slowly that the articles rest thereon in inclinedoverlapping condition, such belt forming a travelling'platform fromwhich the attendant removes the'articles in groups for packing. Themachine produces the articles too rapidly for anyone to count themindividually and therefore several devices have been proposed to sochange the posi tion of some of the articles arriving in the pile orrow, relatively to the intervening ones, as to indicate to the attendantwhere to effect a separation of the pil or row in order to remove apredetermined number, such as fifty. If the device changes the positionof more than one article at each displacing operation, the attendant cannot determine accurately where toefiect the sepa ration, and is liableto pick up 51 or 52 or 49 or 48 articles. The smaller the articles, thegreater is the liability of displacingtwo or more articles instead ofone.

The principal object of the present in vention is to provide mechanismof the character described which, even when the small- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Serial No. 371,889.

est sizes of flat folded boxes are to be count ed will, when operatingto designate the last of a group, act upon but one box lVith this objectin view the invention consists in a counter having a movable memberwhich is moved by every passing article and which itseli acts todisplace some of them at intervals, and means connected with said memberto determine the periods when that member shall act. In the embodimentoi the'invention illustrated, the displacing means comprises a pair ofrolls between which the articles pass, said rolls being shifted aside todisplace one article passing between them at a time which is determinedby the numbe' of preceding articles which passed between said rolls.

One embodiment of the above described invention is explained in ourapplication filed February 6, 1920, Serial No. 356700 in which themechanism for effecting the selcctive displacingis carried by alaterally swinging arm. In the present illustrated embodiment of theinvention the displacing mechanism is carried by a laterally movableslide by means of which, in connection with other features of ourinvention, the counter as a whole is simplified and is capable ofoperating at a higher rate of speed. F or instance, so far as we areaware, no counter has heretofore been produced which would accuratelydesignate groups of boxes folded and passing at the speed attained bythe folding machine described in our application filed May 5, 1920,Serial No. 380,326 The present counter, with that folding machine, hasdemonstrated accurate counting of boxes passing at a rate exceeding75,000 an hour. Hence sensitiveness and quickness of action of thecounter are required.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coun ter, with the casing or framepartly broken away.

Figure 2 represents a vertical transverse section of the counter.

Patented Mar. 14:, 19222 p Cir pulley 23 at the other end.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view.

Figure 4 is a sectional perspective of a portion of the casing.

Figure 5 represents a of the floor of the casing.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of two members of the frictiondriver.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the ratchets and the camconnected thereto.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts in all. of theviews.

The frame of the device comprises a boxshaped casting 12 having an arm13 apertured for one or more screws or bolts by means of which thecounter is secured to a suitable part-of a machine such asabox foldingmachine not necessary to illustrate. The articles to be counted, such asflat-folded boxes or cartons that are being made by such foldingmachine, are fed through a [throat or passageway 14 one end of whichisflared as at 15. The articles are fed into the mouth 15 and throughthe throat 14 in rapid succession bysuitable means such as the usualbelts (not shown) employed for delivering boxes from the foldingdevices.

Secured to the lower edges of the side walls of the frame 12 are twostrips 16 which support a slide 17. As it is quite essential, for rapidoperation, that the slide 17' shall be able to move with the leastpossible friction we preferably construct it andthe strips 16 withgrooved edges, a series of anti-friction balls 18 being mounted in thegrooves. And to reduce the momentum and inertia of the slide, it ispreferably formed with openings as at 19 (Figs. 1 and 2).

Depending'from the slide 17 and movable with it is a thin web 20 havinga bearing for a shaft 21 carrying a roll 22 at one end and a A spring24, best transverse section illustrated by dotted lines so connectedto'the web and frame as to exert a constant tendency to shift the partswhich are carried. by the slide in the direc tion of arrow (1 of Figure1.

Supported by the slide and web is a vertical spindle 25 having a bevelpinion 26 meshing with a bevel pinion 27 carried by shaft 21. It is tobe understood that in use a constantly driven beltengages pulley 23 soas to act through the shaftto rotate the roll22 in the direction ofarrow 1; (Fig. 1). Through the bevel gearing the spindle 25 is alsoconstantly driven.

Loosely mounted on, the spindle above the slide are upper and lowerratchet wheels 23, 29, and a cam 30, said wheels and cam being securedtogether by means such as one or more pins-.31 (Figs. 3 and 7). Saidwheels and cam are frictionally rotated as presently described. Thelower wheel 29, rides .on a ball bearing 32 (Fig; 2). Mounted on theupper portion of the spindle is a disk 33, a friction washer 34 ofleather or other suitthe two ratchet wheels in Figure 2, 1s

ling influence of the friction drive tendency of rotation able materialbeing interposed between the disk 33 and the upper ratchet wheel. Thehub 35 of disk 33 is slotted as at 36 to receive a transverse pin 37 ofthe spindle (Fig. (3), said slots being wider than the diameter of thepin 37 to enable the disk to have a limited rotary movement on thespindle for a purpose to be explained.

A collar 38 engages a screwthrea-ded portion of the spindle and ispreferably locked in adjusted position'thereon as by a set screw 39(Fig. 2). A spring 40 is coiled around the hub 35 and at its ends bearsupon, without being secured to, the under face of collar 38 and theupper face of disk 33. The turn-- tion of this spring is two-fold aswill be explained hereinafter.

An upper roll 41 which will be lifted by 3 every article passing betweenit and the roll 22 is mounted to rotate freely on the outer end of alever 42 which is pivoted at 43 to a bifurcated arm 44 carried by theslide 17. A spring 45 acts to tilt said lever to yieldingly hold theroll 41 down.

Secured to, or a part of, the lever, is a pawl arm 46 having its tip ortooth 47 shaped to engage and arrest one or the other of the two ratchetwheels 28, 29. Normally the spring 45, acting on the lever 42, holds thetooth 47 in engagement with the upper ratchet wheel 28, but said toothis wide enough so that just before it leaves a tooth of the upper wheel,due to a passing article causing the lever to tilt, the lower edge ofsaid pawl tooth reaches position to form a stop for a tooth of the lowerratchet wheel 29. As indicated in Figure 1, the teeth of are so relatedas to be alternately stopped by the pawl tooth, the teeth of the upperwheel being above the spaces between the teeth of the lower wheel.

The mechanism just as an escapement device to permit intermittentrotation of the cam 30 under the impelmechanism which consists of lhefriction disk 31: and the constantly rotating disk 3);). the being inthe direction of the arrow 0 in Figure 3.

In alinemcnt \\'ill\ the spare lictncen the ratchet wheels (Fig. 2) is afixed thin flat lug 48 carrying a small roll 1 and. having a shoulder ortip 50 in horizontal alinement with the roll 49 and with the cam 21 i(Figs. 1, 2. 3 and 4). An adjustable stop such as a screw 51 is inalinen'ient with lug: 52 at the inner end of the slide 17.

The operation is as follows:

The front end of each article passing through the throat 14 and enteringbetween the rolls 22, 41, effects sufficient lifting of describedoperates the roll 41 and consequent tilting of the u wheel 39, and whensuch article has passed the rolls, the spring returns the lever to"normal position. Each passing article permits,- in this manner, astepby-step rotation of the two ratchet wheels and the interposed cam30. Since the slide 17 carries all of the parts just mentioned and theother parts immediately related thereto, and since the spring 24 exertsa constant tend ency to shift all of these parts toward the right (FigsfQand the cam 80 is held in peripheral contact wit-h roll 49. As the camrotates step-by-step in the direction of the arrow 0 in Figure 3, andrides over said roll 49, the result is to gradually push the slide 17and allparts'carried thereby toward the left in opposition to the spring:24. The slow movement of'the rolls 9.2, 41, in this direction does notin any degree affect the passing articles, as said rolls simply engagethe articles at different distances from their edges without divertingthem from the path in which they are being carried.

Assuming, for instance, that each ratchet wheel has twenty five teeth,then the cam will be permitted to be rotated by its file tio'n driveonce during the passage of twenty five articles. "When the tip or highpoint of the cam not only passes the roll 49'but also the tip of thefixed lug 4L8, the spring 24 acts to instantly shift the slide 17 andall parts carried thereby, ineluding the rolls 22, ll, to the right, toa point determined by the screw stop The parts are so proportionedthat,since the movement of the ratchet wheels and the cam are initiated whenthe front end of an article lifts roll, 41., the tip of the cam passesthe tip 50 and spring 2% acts before that same article entirely passesthe rolls 22, 41. Therefore, since the spring 45 causes the upper rollto act on the article with a considerable grip, the sudden movement ofthe slide and the rolls 22, 41, to the right pulls the'twenty fiftharticle, and only that one. out of the line-of those which preceded .it.In other words the articlewhich is displaced is the one which causesdisplacing action of the device after an exact predetermined number ofarticles have preceded it. Of course the articles which follow the displaced one are engaged by the rolls 22, 4-1, nearer the edges of saidarticlesthan the displaced one, but that does not cause them to beshifted laterally from their normal line of travel. Then as the camrotates as the resultof the passing of those following articles, theslide and said rolls are gradually shifted back to position ready toeffect lateral displacements of the next twenty-fifth article.

The reason for the tip 50 at one side of the 'roll 49 is that if theroll alone were depended upon for 'coa'ction with the cam, it would haveto be exceedingly small to let the tip of the cam pass it quickly. Infact the roll 49 might be dispensed with but for the desirability ofreducing as far as possible the friction between the cam and the elementagainst which it rides.

Reference has been made to the slots 36 in the hub of the frictiondriving disk being wider than the diameter of the pin 37 which drivesit, and to the fact that the ends of the spring 40 are not positivelyconnected to anything. Said spring is under sufficient compression tocause the disk 33 to press the washer 34 upon the upper face of ratchetwheel 28 to effect friction drive of the latter when permitted by theoscillating pawl tooth 47, and the spring has the following additionalfunction The spring rotatively connects the spindle 25 with the disk 33,owing to the frictional bearing of its ends on said disk and the collar38, and so the spring serves to yieldingly transmit the constant rotarymovement of said spindle to the disk somewhat as it would if the pin 37were omitted and the ends of the spring connected positively instead offrictionally to the collar and disk. This rotary movement exerts aconstant tendency to tighten or wind up the spring because the ratchetwheels are held back by the pawl 4-6, and the friction washer 34 retardsrotation of the disk Then when the pawl shifts to release the ratchetwheel which it was holding. the spring imparts a quick action to thedisk due to the effort of the spring to unwind, and this action isinstantly transmitted through the friction washer to the ratchet wheelsand cam. Said quick action is particularly advantageous when the last ofthe predetermined number of articles is passing and the tip of the camis just about to pass the tip 50 of lug 48 to release the slide andeffect displacement of said last article. The purpose of the pin 37 andthe relatively wide slots 86 in the hub of the disk 33 is to limit theextent or degree of winding up action that can be imparted to thespring. Moreover with said pin and slot connection it is not necessaryto positively connect the ends of the spring to the collar and disk andtherefore it is easier to 1 enible. or make repairs in case a new springis needed.

Ha ving now clescribec our invention. we claim: v I

l. The combination with a guideway for articles to be counted, of aslide movable in a direction at an angle to said guideway, a membercarried by the slide in position to be acted upon by each passingarticle, and mechanism under the control of said member to effect anarticle-displacing movement of said slide when the last one of apredetermined number of passing articles acts upon said member.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of members forengaging articles passing between them, a slide carrying said members,and means controlled by one of said members for shifting the slide andsaid members periodically at predetermined times to displace articles atspaced points.

3. A. device of the character described comprising a: pair of rolls forengaging articles passing between them, a slide carrying said rolls, andmeans controlled by one of said rolls for shifting the slide and saidroll periodically at predetermined times to displace articles at spacedpoints.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a slide carrying amember mounted to be moved by eachof a series of passing articles, meansfor actuating said slide to cause said member carried thereby todisplace some of the articles at intervals, and means connected withsaid member to determinethe periods when the slide and itsarticle-displacing member shall act.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a slide carrying amember mounted to be moved by the front portion of each of a series ofpassing articles, and means controlled by the number of times that saidmember is moved for effecting a displacing movement of that member inanother direction.

6. A counter mechanism of the character described having, incombination, a pair of rolls for the passage of articles between them, aslide carrying said rolls, and means cooperating with said rolls toefiect movement of the slide and its rolls to laterally displace some ofthe articles at predetermined intervals.

7. A counter mechanism-of the character described having, incombination, a pair of rolls for the passage of articles between them.-a slide carrying said rolls, means for moving said slide andits rollsperiodically to displace individual articles, and means controlledby'the parting movement of the rolls to effect movement of the slide andsaid rolls in an article-displacing direction.

8. A counter having a toothed wheel. a friction driver for said wheel, adetent for said wheel. a member connected with said detent and mountedto be moved by each of a series of passing articlesto effect release ofthe wheel, and means controlled by the wheel to cause said member todisplace some of said articles at intervals.

9. A counter having a toothed wheel. a friction driver for said wheel, adetent for said wheel, a member'connected with said detentand mounted tobe moved by each of -a series of passing articles to effect release ofthe wheel, and means controlled by the wheel to cause said member todisplace one of the articles upon each complete rotation of said wheel.

10. Acounter having a toothed wheel, a

medium of said spring,

cam in contact with sai friction driver for said wheel, a spring, meansfor actuating the driver through the a detent for said wheel, a memberconnected with the detent and mounted to be moved by each of a series ofpassing articles to release the wheel to permit said spring to effect aquick partial rotation to the wheel, and means controlled by the wheelto cause said member to displace one of the articles upon each completerotation of the wheel.

11. A counter having a pair of rolls one of which is movable relativelyto the other to be moved by each of a series of articles passing betweenthem, a laterally movable support for said rolls, a toothed wheel and a"friction driver therefor carried by said support, a detent connectedwith the movable roll and constructed and arranged to permitintermittent actuation of the toothed wheel by the friction driver, andmeans controlled by said wheel to cause the said support to shift atpredetermined intervals.

12. A counter having a pair of rolls one of which is movable relativelyto the other to be moved by each of a series of articles passing betweenthem, a laterally movable support for said rolls, a toothed wheel and afriction driver therefor carried by said support, a detent connectedwith the movable roll and constructed and arranged to permitintermittent actuation of the toothed wheel by the friction driver, acam connected to rotate with said toothed wheel, an abutment 'for saidcam, and a spring for shifting said support when the higher portion ofthe cam passes said abutment.

13. In a counter mechanism of the characterdescribed, a Slide, a pair ofrolls carried thereby, one of said rolls being pivotal}? supported bythe slide, a driven spinde mounted in the slide, a toothed wheel and; acam loosely mounted on the spindle, a biotion driver for the toothedwheel and cam, said driver being operatively connected with the spindle,an abut-ment for the cam, a detent for the toothed wheel connected withthe pivotally supported roll, and a spring normally holdin the slidewith the cam in contact with sai abutment.

14. In a counter mechanism of the character described, a slide, a pairof rolls carried thereby, one of said rolls-being pivotally supported bytheslide, a driven spindle mounted in the slide, a toothed wheel andacam loosely mounted on the spindle, a friction driver for the toothedwheel and cam, said driver having a yielding connection with thespindle, an-abutment for the cam, a detent for the toothed wheelconnoded with the pivotally. supported roll, and a spring normallyholdin the slide with the abutment.

15. A counter comprisinga guideway for the articles to be oounted,aslide mountud'to I reciprocate at an angle to said guideway, a and camoperatively connected with the 10 spring for moving the slide in onedirection, spindle, a detent pawl for the toothed Wheel a driven shaftcarried by the sllde and havcarried by-said lever, and an abutment foring aroll, a lever carried by the slide and said cam.

having at one end a roll to coact with the In testimony whereof We haveaflixed our first mentioned roll, a spindle carried by signatures.

the slide and geared to the driven shaft, 2:.

toothed Wheel and a cam loosely mounted on LEON E. LA BOMBARD.

the spindle, a friction driver for said wheel MELVIN H. SIDEBOTHAM.

